Farm-to-Table Winter Cooking: Using Seasonal Ingredients in Your Meals

Contrary to popular belief, winter in northern Indiana doesn't mean a halt to fresh, local produce. Local farms adapt to the season, offering an array of hearty greens, herbs, and root vegetables that can add nutrition and depth to your winter menu. If you live at The Riverfront at Promenade Park apartments, you can also embrace the winter harvest by visiting farm markets and local restaurants, where you'll find an abundance of seasonal goodness. Let’s take a look at some of the ways you can enjoy winter cooking in Indiana and celebrate the connection between local farms and our dining experiences.

Embracing the Winter Harvest

The Seasonal Food Guide is informed by the Natural Resources Defense Council and state departments of agriculture and university extension programs across the country. It boasts the most comprehensive national database of seasonal food available in the U.S. Here are just a few seasonal items you’ll find in season in Indiana in November and December:

Beets
Carrots
Endives
Garlic
Kale
Mustard Greens
Parsnips
Radicchio
Rosemary
Turnips

Comforting and Wholesome Winter Meals

Try some of these savory and nutritious recipes using Indiana produce in season right now!

Easy Roasted Turnips with Rosemary

The caramelization used in this recipe helps overcome the somewhat bitter undertones the turnip is known for, and the rosemary, also in season now, helps enhance the turnip’s natural flavor. Also try it with finely chopped chives and parsley, ground sage, or coriander.

Hearty Kale and Sausage Soup

This is an easy weeknight soup that bursts with flavor. Kale is a terrific green for soups since it holds together so well when heated.

Maple-Glazed Carrots and Parsnips

This is a one-pot skillet dish that’s ready in about 10 minutes! It’s the perfect accompaniment to chicken or meatloaf, but it’s also a delicious snack all on its own.

Radicchio Salad

A colorful side dish featuring citrus, juicy pears, feta, and chopped walnuts.

Winter Salad with Endives, Walnuts, and Pomegranates

This winter salad combines sweet and savory and makes an attractive centerpiece for a holiday meal or party.

Sauteed Mustard Greens with Garlic and Lemon

Packed with protein, manganese, folate, copper, choline, and magnesium, this easy dish is the perfect winter pick-me-up. 

Winter Beet and Carrot Salad
A simple salad that holds up in the refrigerator for days? Yes, please!

Restaurants and Winter Markets

You might not think downtown Fort Wayne living is conducive to a farm-to-table lifestyle, but you’re actually in a prime location to enjoy the region's winter bounty. Look out for the YLNI Winter Market on Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Berry Street just 1.5 miles from The Riverfront at Promenade Park.

If you want to treat yourself to a night off from laboring in the kitchen, try Tolon Farm to Table on Harrison Street or the Copper Spoon on Jefferson Blvd for locally sourced food and cocktails.

Winter in Central Indiana is a time to savor the unique flavors that the season brings. If you’re looking for luxury apartments in downtown Fort Wayne that are just as exceptional, take a tour of The Riverfront - Promenade Park apartments featuring thoughtful amenities that include a luxury kitchen, large pantry, quartz countertops, solid marble style backsplash, and stainless steel appliances. Call our leasing office today at 260-222-4193.